MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - full windows 8 tablet vs window 8 rt tablet

dwig · 06-11-2014, 09:18 AM

You're correct.

Win/RT is a solution for a problem that no longer exists. It is/was an effort for MS to enter the tablet OS market as an expansion of their efforts on phones. It runs on the same chips as Android and supports apps from the MS Store only.

Advances in the standard Windows 8, in particular Win8.1u1, and substantial advances by Intel have made it practical to place the standard full Intel version of Windows on a device of similar size and performance of the devices running the lightweight, limited tablet OSs (e.g. Android & iOS)

RT may have a life, but IMHO it is not likely in the more visible consumer realm. Its reliance on a controled "store" as a source for apps makes it a candidate for restricted use devices for vertical specialty markets. I read of an effort to replace printed maps for pilots with RT devices which were configured to use onlly a special "store" for getting updates and thus preventing them from being used for other purposes and possibly compromising their primary use. Other similar uses (e.g. POS systems, electronic medical charts, ...) are potential markets.

I spent the last few years casually watching the growing tablet market and considering adding one to my collection of devices. It wasn't until the current evolution of the Windows tablets that I felt that I'd benefit from the update. I've added a Dell Venue 8 Pro/32g and retired an "antique" Dell Inspiron notebook still stuck on WinXP and my Kindle Keyboard is likely to join the old notebook in retirement. Being able to run standard "desktop" apps, not being restricted to a single "store" as a source for apps, and the ability to interface with standard external hardware were the clinchers.

One of my favorite tools is Teamviewer ( http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx ) which allows remote control of one computer by another. It allows me to do some of the more geeky setup on the DV8p using the large screen, keyboard and mouse of my desktop machine. It also allows FTP-like file transfer from/to the DV8p from any other machine running TV for which I know its address and password.

The other tool that I find a must-have is Touch Mouse Pointer ( http://www.lovesummertrue.com/touchmousepointer/en-us/ ). This puts a transparent laptop-like virtual touchpad on-screen. This gives mouse type control which may classic Desktop apps need. There are mouse functions that the Touch interface doesn't replicate.

06-11-2014, 09:18 AM	#2
dwig Wizard Posts: 1,613 Karma: 6718541 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Paradise (Key West, FL) Device: Current:Surface Go & Kindle 3 - Retired: DellV8p, Clie UX50, ...	You're correct. Win/RT is a solution for a problem that no longer exists. It is/was an effort for MS to enter the tablet OS market as an expansion of their efforts on phones. It runs on the same chips as Android and supports apps from the MS Store only. Advances in the standard Windows 8, in particular Win8.1u1, and substantial advances by Intel have made it practical to place the standard full Intel version of Windows on a device of similar size and performance of the devices running the lightweight, limited tablet OSs (e.g. Android & iOS) RT may have a life, but IMHO it is not likely in the more visible consumer realm. Its reliance on a controled "store" as a source for apps makes it a candidate for restricted use devices for vertical specialty markets. I read of an effort to replace printed maps for pilots with RT devices which were configured to use onlly a special "store" for getting updates and thus preventing them from being used for other purposes and possibly compromising their primary use. Other similar uses (e.g. POS systems, electronic medical charts, ...) are potential markets. I spent the last few years casually watching the growing tablet market and considering adding one to my collection of devices. It wasn't until the current evolution of the Windows tablets that I felt that I'd benefit from the update. I've added a Dell Venue 8 Pro/32g and retired an "antique" Dell Inspiron notebook still stuck on WinXP and my Kindle Keyboard is likely to join the old notebook in retirement. Being able to run standard "desktop" apps, not being restricted to a single "store" as a source for apps, and the ability to interface with standard external hardware were the clinchers. One of my favorite tools is Teamviewer ( http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx ) which allows remote control of one computer by another. It allows me to do some of the more geeky setup on the DV8p using the large screen, keyboard and mouse of my desktop machine. It also allows FTP-like file transfer from/to the DV8p from any other machine running TV for which I know its address and password. The other tool that I find a must-have is Touch Mouse Pointer ( http://www.lovesummertrue.com/touchmousepointer/en-us/ ). This puts a transparent laptop-like virtual touchpad on-screen. This gives mouse type control which may classic Desktop apps need. There are mouse functions that the Touch interface doesn't replicate.